


Catharsis

by aazeal



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-01
Updated: 2012-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-19 23:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/578974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aazeal/pseuds/aazeal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even Erik Lehnsherr can tell when someone is upset and there's no way he's going to stand aside and do nothing when he knows something is bugging Charles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catharsis

The show was interrupted with a sniff and Erik glanced down, surprised to see that the small man cradled in his arms was actually crying.   
“Charles,” he rearranged them on the couch so that they were still nestled together but slightly sitting up. “What- why are you crying?”   
“I am not.” Charles brought a hand hidden in the extra long sleeves of his cardigan to rub at his eyes.   
“Yes you are.” Erik stared down, unblinking. Charles was avoiding his gaze and he was determined to get him to admit the truth. Instead, Charles just continued to look straight at the television, letting out a quiet sniff once and a while even though he tried to hide it.   
“Charles” He repeated and when Charles continued to be silent and stubborn Erik raised one finger and poked him in the face.   
The brunette jerked out of shock, it was quite a childish thing for Erik to resort to but in his opinion, Charles was being childish as well. He was about to go in for another poke when Charles’ reflexively swatted his hand away.   
“Yes, fine, I am crying. Happy?”   
Erik thought about it for a moment before answering.   
“No” Finally, this got Charles to look up at him. His vivid blue eyes were rimmed with red. “Why?” Erik inquired further.   
Charles shook his head, “It’s just this show, don’t worry, it’s nothing really.”   
Erik frowned as he pulled his attention back to the movie. It was Monday night so they were watching Once Upon a Time. On screen, Emma Swan was sitting in a diner talking to her son while drinking some hot chocolate. It wasn’t exactly a thrilling or emotional moment of the show. In fact, Erik had been quite bored up until now. He only tolerated watching it every week because Charles liked it and it gave him an excuse to cuddle with the man for an hour or so.   
Erik sighed and decided to let it go. He didn’t understand and obviously Charles didn’t want to talk about it, meaning Erik would have to just wait. Until then, all he could do was hold the little English man closer and kiss the top of his head. 

After a few minutes of deliberating, Erik finally knocked on the door of Hank’s lab. He really did not want to take his personal matters to socially awkward scientist but Charles still refused to talk about what was bothering him from the other night and in Erik’s opinion, people did not cry over nothing. Crying was a biological process and biological processes were science. Hank would have a scientific explanation.   
Erik heard clattering from the other side of the door and a muffled voice calling out “Just a moment!” followed be more shuffling until the door finally opened up to a mess of blue fur. “Yes?”   
The mutant’s yellow eyes widened as he realized that it was Erik Lehnsherr at his door. Even after the unfortunate event with Raven’s DNA that had caused Hank’s body to grow blue fur and become so beast like, he was still terrified of Erik. This brightened Erik’s day a bit; just because he was going to Hank with a serious matter didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun with the boy so Erik smiled. The way Hank visibly shark away was amusing. “Hello, Hank. I was wondering if you could assist me with a certain scientific matter.”  
He seemed to hesitate before nodding and opening the door all the way to let Erik in.   
“What can I do for you?” Hank self-consciously tried to tidy his workbench, which was a mess. It was a miracle that the boy genius didn’t accidentally mix up his experiments and blow the whole mansion apart.   
Although he had prepared a whole explanation, Erik decided to disregard it all and just get to the point. “Why do people cry at movies?”   
Hank stopped busying himself and peered over his glasses at Erik. “Why do people cry at movies? That’s your scientific question?” Erik could feel the shift in power as Hank chuckled. “I knew you weren’t the most emotional guy but I didn’t know you were that out of touch with feelings.”   
Sure, looking back it did sound like a pretty idiotic question but Erik was determined not to be made a fool of and crossed his arms and glared at Hank, reminding him subtly who he was laughing at.   
Coughing nervously, he composed him self. “Is there an event we’re specifically talking about, can you tell me what the situation really is?” Before he even finished his sentence he could tell from Erik’s expression that no, there would be no further explanations. “Well, it’s catharsis, isn’t it?” He leaned against his desk and from the blank look on Erik’s face, went on. “Theater, books, movies... it’s all designed to help get things off your chest.”   
Erik moved past Hank to stare out the window. “Even if it’s not sad?”  
“We rarely cry just because a scene is sad. We cry because we’ve connected with something in the scene. You’re letting out something that was already there.”   
A few birds were interrupted in their morning meal, pecking at the gravel path that ran around Xavier mansion, as Charles himself appeared around the bend on his morning jog. Erik watched as he made impressive time across the grounds. For as slim and small as he looked, Charles was actually quite strong. Although the grey sweats hid it, Erik knew it was all trim muscle under there. Charles was like that. He gave the appearance of being a very open and cheerful but just like every man, Charles had his secrets, his demons from his past just like Erik.   
Obviously, he had plenty more to learn about Charles Xavier. Erik’s lips twitched up into a soft smile, a rare sight to anyone other than Charles.  
When Charles cleared the next bend and was out of view again, Erik finally came back to himself and realized that he was still in Hank’s lab. The boy looked utterly lost not knowing what to do with Erik silently staring out his window with a face of stone.   
Erik simply nodded and headed out the door. Just before he was about to slip out the door he turned back to Hank. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Just for clarification, I don’t cry at movies.” 

It was the end of the week before Erik found anything that aided his investigation. He wasn’t a mind reader so he couldn’t cheat like someone he knew. The first few days had been unsuccessful; he had just wandered from room to room hoping that some evidence to Charles’ past would present itself. There was nothing. No scrapbooks, no picture albums, no childhood toys. It seemed as if Charles had been born an 80 year old man from the get go and then had just stayed that way.   
Getting desperate, Erik eventually turned to Raven. Friday after lunch, he confronted her in the kitchen.   
“What’s up, Erik?” She said casually, popping open her soda and propping her blue feet up on the kitchen table.  
“You grew up with Charles.”   
“No shit, Sherlock.” She took a swig of her drink and gave Erik a reproachful look. “Did you figure that out before or after you found out we’re brother and sister?”   
Erik put on his best ‘I am not amused’ face and went on. “You’re obviously not actually related.”   
“Could be.” In one fluid movement, Raven swung her feet off the table and her blue scales rippled, shifting her whole appearance. Short red hair became long dark brown waves, the same shade as Charles’. Raven’s nose grew the same little knob in the middle, an Xavier trademark. Her eyes gleamed bright sky blue, her skin porcelain. She had even gone so far as to give herself the same ruby red lips as him, although a bit more fuller and female. The resemblance was so strong that she looked more like Charles’ twin than a younger sister. Erik didn’t know how he felt about that. He needed to sit down.   
He rubbed his temples for a minute, deliberately not looking at Raven. “The point is, you’re not. How old were you and Charles when you met him?” When he looked up, she was back to her usual blue self.   
“I was ten, Charles was twelve.” She tore her curious gaze away from him and looked around the kitchen. “It was in here, actually.” She smiled to herself. “He caught me trying to steal food from their fridge. I tried to disguise myself by turning into his mother. The photo I got her face from is still over there on the wall.”   
Erik stood up and moved over to where it hung, a beautiful but serious looking woman stood a few feet away from a mini Charles.   
“Whatever gave you away?” 

Monday night came around again and now Erik was prepared. He was already situated on the couch, his secret weapon hidden around the corner, waiting for Charles to enter the television room. He could hear his voice down the hall as he argued with Hank.   
“Yes, I’m sure you’re right, it could do with a few more tests but I’m also sure that those tests can wait an hour or so.” If Hank argued further, it was too quiet for Erik to hear and soon he could feel the familiar warmth of Charles’ mind as he reached out to locate Erik. “Beat me here tonight.” He jested as he entered.   
Erik patted the cushion on the couch next to him. Quickly, Charles made is way across the room to him. They fitted perfectly together as Charles sat down. Erik had given up on fighting clichés long ago when he first met Charles because honestly it was like they were made for each other. Charles gave him a quick kiss, which Erik did not allow to be quick at all and when they finally parted, Charles was a bit breathless.   
“Are you ready for this?” He beamed as he made a grab for the remote.   
“No,” Erik held the remote just outside of Charles’ reach. “Not yet.”   
Charles looked nervously at the old grandfather clock that stood next to the television, it was true, they were cutting it close.   
“First I have a surprise for you.” He used his powers to locate and call over the two metal mugs he had fashioned himself. Grabbing them out of the air, and making sure they were still warm enough, he offered one to Charles.  
Charles stared at his cup, mouth slightly open.   
“It’s my mother’s old recipe. Although I don’t think German hot chocolate could be that much more different than English hot chocolate.”   
At first Erik thought he might have gotten it all wrong and that Charles had no idea what Erik was doing but then Charles’ eyes began to fill with tears again.  
“Everyone here loves you,” and that includes me, “You are surrounded by family here. I hope you know that you’re not alone either.”   
The wave of love and appreciation that Charles emitted hit Erik just seconds before Charles’ did as he crushed their lips together. They barely even noticed when they both toppled off the sofa together.   
It was a good thing that they were recording the episode.


End file.
